Piano construction.



NI. I. DUNN.

PIANO CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.3I. I9II.

1 ,301 ,825'. Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

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MICHAEL J'. DUNN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO CONSTRUCTION.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application led August 31, 1917. Seal No. 189,159.

' To all whom z't may concern Be it known that I, MICHAEL a citizen of the United States, residing at 275() N. 24th St., Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of 'Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pianos, and has for an object to render removable certain elements of a piano which have hitherto been of a permanent character, in order that the piano will be capable of being dexterously manipulated through narrow, restricted hall and doorways or the like, so that the same may be removed from or positioned within a room with ease and convenience.

Another object of the invention is to provide a piano wherein the foot andI truss bars of the same are of a readily removable nature, wherebywhen said bars are removed from thepiano, the latter may be easily handled in limited areas.

For a further disclosure of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, the latter forming a part of the present specification and in which- Figure 1 isl a fragmentary sectional view of the piano, embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of Fig. l, disclosing more clearly the meansl for removably securing one of the foot bars or toe pieces of the piano with the casing or body of the latter.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and

Fi 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating t e method of positioning a piano, constructed in accordance with the invention, in a room adjoining a relatively narrow hallway.

Similar characters of reference denote correspondingxparts in all the views of the drawing.

In order that the aims and achievements of the invention may be clearly understood, it is thought advisable to state at this juncture that heretofore considerable difhculty has been encountered by piano movers in passing pianos through an average proportioned hall or doorway, this being due to the limited area of the latter with regard to the rather bulky nature of an average piano. When difficult conditions of this character J. DUNN,

vmen to' properly replace the same.

are encountered, piano movers have usually been obliged to remove the' piano action angl keyboard construction, so as to decrease the general width of the piano, so that the latter Vmay be turned and twisted around sharp corners, common to a usual sized hallway. This removing of the aforesaid parts of the piano by unskilled persons is frequently detrimental to the operative condition of the piano, inasmuch as it requires expert work- Morcover, under certain conditions doorways have to be enlarged to permit of the passage of a piano therethrough, thus necessitating considerable expense and trouble, due to the tearing away of the plaster and framework of a door. To avoid these objections, and others, the present invention contemplates providing a piano l, wherein is provided the usual body or casing 2, V and a keyboard 3, with removable foot bars or toe pieces 4, and to likewise render removable the associated truss elements 5, in order that the piano may be successfully manipulated while ppsitioned within a narrow hallway or the li e.

To this end the foot bars 4, only one of which having been shown, are provided with elongated inwardly extending portions 6, which are adapted to lie within the casing 2. Ordinarily these extended portions are secured to they piano by means of tenon joints, glue, and inaccessible securing elements, so that the removal of these bars is rendered impracticable. However, the present invention contemplates providing the inner face of each of the portions 6 with a dovetailed groove 7, the latter being adapted to receive a dovetailed, tapering bar 8, which is rigidly secured to the body 2 by means of screws or the like 9. A ledge 10 is also secured to the body 2 at a position immediately above the upper edge of each of the foot bars 4, and is employed to guide the latter, when the same is being inserted into the piano, and to generally strengthen the construction. It will be noted that the bar 8 tapers outwardly so that when the foot bar 4 is ,forced inwardly along the same, a substantial and efficient method will be provided for effecting the association of the same with the piano, and one whichv will involve maximum strength. Other securing screws 11 are passed through the bar 4 and into the member 8, to prevent undue outward movement of said bar. The latter is further provided with a shoulder 12,

which is adapted to engage the bottom board 13 of the piano, in order to limit the inward sliding movement of the foot bar. Thus `'it will be seen that there is providedv an efif cient method for securing each 'of the VTfoot bars 4 to the piano 1. The construction permits the foot bars to be'readily inserted vinto'Y an operative position, yand ,also permits .the same to be easily disconnected and removed.

Y Each of the truss members 5-is rigidly se- `curedftofthe foot bars 4, so asto provide `a '.unitary construction, and the upper extremities of the `truss members are lprovided with Yrigid securing plates 14, the latter being .connected withthe truss members thro-ugh the medium of securing screws 'The plates 14 .arelof' a substantially greater width than the members 5 andare provided with openings for the reception of the headed ends of .screws y16, which are adapted to enter the keyboard 3, and areso vpositioned as to .be easily accessible. Thus, in operation V.when itis desired to remove .the foot or toe bars 4 and ltheir associated truss members,

the screws 11 areremoved fromengagement with the .bar 8, also, the screws 16 rare re- Vfbeen conventionally illustrated a hallway-17,

adjoinin'ga room 18,.a=doorway 19 connecting the room with the hallway for communication. When it is desired to position a -piano within ithe'freom'lf8,'- the piano is carried, edgewise through the hall 17 and is positioned near the doorway 19. Now it will 'be seen that if the bars 4 and the truss members "5*were carried by the piano, it would be impossible -to manipulate the latter through the doorway 19. However, as shown, when the `elements 4 and 5 are detached from the piano, the .latter lmay be swung i around on an axis, clearing .the corners .of the fentrance'19 and thereby .enabling the piano to be inserted ntothe room 18,

this feature .ha-vingbeen clearlyj illustrated by broken --lines in thedrawing lIt -w-ill be appreciated that miner alterations may be Y made .in the means. forremovfably securing the lmembers 4andrvuponthepiano 1, and l.

therefore ,I .do not-wish Ato :be limited 4to lthe precise Vmethod illustratedand described, Y

but what I desireto seeure-byLetters `Patent is:

1. Ina piano, a -toie.piece\carried thereby, having l.one extremity thereof ,formed with a groove, a ,barrigidly connected Vwithsaid Apiano and operable .to be ,positioned within said groove, and'rmeans vfor Vretain-ingV said 2. vIn a piano, .fa-toe piece -Icarried thereby, means for slidably seeuring'said'toe piece to said piano, a truss connected with Vthe outer lextremity-of said `toe piece, and means for removably secu-ring upper v.end .of said truss .to fsaid piano. Y l

In .testimony whereof I my signature.-

.M-LCHAEL J. DUNN.

{Copiesof t1tisliatent may `be 4,obtained for five ,cents each, .by .Vaddressinigthe @Commissionerof-Batents,

, Washington, D. G. 'i

V,toe .piecein a-securedposition-upon said ibar. g 

